news

MLB News

Volquez discusses Game 5 start, sign stealing

MLB.com

The following is a transcript from Royals pitcher Edison Volquez's pregame news conference before Tuesday's Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, which Kansas City leads, 2-1. (Game 4: 3 p.m. ET air time, 4 ET game time on Fox Sports 1, Sportsnet.)

Q. Last time you were out you talked about switching up the game plan as you were leaving the bullpen. How often does that happen?

The following is a transcript from Royals pitcher Edison Volquez's pregame news conference before Tuesday's Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, which Kansas City leads, 2-1. (Game 4: 3 p.m. ET air time, 4 ET game time on Fox Sports 1, Sportsnet.)

Q. Last time you were out you talked about switching up the game plan as you were leaving the bullpen. How often does that happen?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: Not very often. This is my first time doing that, and it worked.

Q. Are you feeling sexy today? No answer?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: Got to wait until tomorrow.

Q. Will you feel sexy tomorrow?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: I will let you know on my way back to the dugout.

Q. You obviously have a smile on your face whether you win or lose. You approach it with seemingly an even keel. Johnny [Cueto] got roughed up pretty good last night, and as he was going off the field, he was smiling. Do you feel sometimes that can be misinterpreted by people if you are smiling?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: It might. It might, yeah. It's not easy when you pitch the way he pitched last night. Especially playing in Toronto or different places. When you play at home, you don't get that the way they did. Sometimes they get mad.

That's the way he is. He's a happy guy, too. He's been around for a long time, he knows people throw out things to the field, like last night. He understands the situation, but he want to be happy. He doesn't get upset about a game like last night.

Q. You obviously pitched a very strong game in your first appearance in the series. How do you improve on such a strong performance? Where do you go from there?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: I've just got to move forward. I've got to pitch tomorrow and try to do my job. You've got to put that game in the past and you've got to move forward, and I've got to pitch another game tomorrow, like I say, and see what happens.

Q. You faced them a few days ago. How big of a challenge is it for a pitcher, after they know you, to pitch a game again?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: It's not easy. That's a good question. I think facing this guy last week, and I've got to face him again tomorrow, is very important for me because I've got to execute my pitches and keep the ball down, stick with the plan and just pitch in and out and be consistent and stay aggressive with my pitches. We'll see what happens.

Q. How rare is it to have a day like that where you feel like everything is really working for you, all your pitches are working and to feel like you are frustrating a team like that? How rare is that?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: That's one of the best feelings in the world. That day I was like -- I had a great feeling. I knew I'd pitch a really good game. I didn't know it would end the way it ended. But I had a good feeling that day, I'm going to pitch a good game, and I did. It was good when you feel that way, I think it's good for the team and for yourself and for the fans.

Q. A lot of Blue Jays hitters hit better in this ballpark than on the road. Is it the ballpark or is there a reason?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: I think it's the ballpark, it's kind of a small ballpark and the ball just flies. It's not like you play in Kansas City, we've got a big ballpark, and the ball doesn't carry much. Here the ball is flying everywhere.

And they're pretty good hitters, too. They can change the game with one swing. They've got a lot of power. I don't know what is the difference, but I think the ball carries a little bit more here.

Q. Is there a concern about them stealing signs?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: Johnny said [that] last night, but that's your fault. You've got to hide the ball and have better communication with the catcher giving you signs when you're pitching. So it's nothing wrong with it. We just have to hide the ball and give multiple signs to hide it from them.

Q. Is it more of a concern here than it is in any other park?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: That's what I hear. Most of the team comes here -- we've got a lot of friends on different teams, they always say that, they give the signs or whatever it is. But I don't go crazy with it. I just want to pitch my own game.

You can tell if you're good or not when you're pitching, the way they take the pitches, and maybe the guy moving to second base or whatever it is. But I don't keep that in my mind.

Q. What did Johnny say?

EDINSON VOLQUEZ: He said, I think he said last night, they got a guy in center field. You see how hard it is, he looks to center field and he sees somebody do this or do that, it's really hard to do that. I don't know, he said that. But when the guy gets on second base, he said something about that, too, they were giving signs to the hitter. But I don't know.